A New, Free Life
by TheGirlOnFire464
Summary: This is about Reyna's life in the hunt. Preferably, read this after you have read Free from responsibilities. Rated T for possible cursing in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**:** If I was Rick Riordan would I be writing fanfiction?**

** I think not!**

**If you haven't figured out yet, I DON"T OWN PJO!** **I _do_ own Alodia, Sophia and Camilla. ****Now go ahead. Enjoy!**

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><p>She was running away from the monsters that were chasing her. She tripped on a stone that was jutting out and cursed sharply. She winced as the wound in her side opened again. She really, really needed some paracetamol. Or actually, nectar would do. She ran faster as she heard the creatures' footsteps grow faster and louder. <em>Damn monsters!<em> She thought savagely. _Damn them all to an eternity in Tartarus._ She cursed every Greek and Roman monster ever in her mind as she made a mad dash for the place where she, Thalia and Phoebe had stowed away their extra supplies. She was risking the fact that their campsite-cum-storage area would be found and destroyed but really! She might be _dying_!

The three of them had come on a fun hunting journey. Well, it was _supposed_ to have been fun. In a way, it had been fun enough- until the monster attack anyway. Reyna turned to see what she might be facing and immediately wished that she hadn't. There were hoards of _dracanae_ and hellhounds- accompanied by the minotaur and a hydra. "Shit!", she cursed and that was the only word for it. She remembered what Artemis had told her the first day.

"You are immortal as long as you don't fall in love or break your oath. You are also susceptible to battle injuries. You can die if you fall in battle."

Reyna really thought her death was close. Hey, at least she hadn't died at 99, holding a picture of herself and Jason when they were young, still pining after him. _Jason_. It had been forever since she had thought of him. Somehow, she didn't feel like her heart was shattering at the very thought of Jason. _That's good_, she reminded herself. _You're getting over him_. As thoughts of Jason flew through her mind, she remembered the story Thalia had told her-a story of her own childhood before she was turned into a tree.

Reyna decided that if she was going down, it was with a fight.

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><p>Reyna raised her bow and sent the first arrow flying through the air. It hit the chink of a dracanae's armour. Angry screeches were all she heard before the monster dissolved into dust. The hydra sent a jet of poison towards her which she narrowly avoided. She realized that she couldn't rely on pure luck to help her win this fight.<p>

As she ducked, rolled and shot, one part of her brain did the analyzing. She looked for the chinks in her enemies armour and shot. But Fortuna had never been kind to her. One dracanae scratched at her. It was close. Too close to her already wounded side. As blood poured from the wound, she had no choice but to drop her bow and grab her side in a desperate attempt to staunch the bleeding. She was going to die. She knew it.

As she blacked out, she whispered," I am sorry, I failed you".

You couldn't tell who the words were meant for.

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><p>When Reyna awoke, all she could see was a soft, silvery glow. There was a distinct scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. She tried to move her arms, but they felt like lead. She tried to lift her head, but it felt like her head had been weighed down by something. Her eyelids were heavy and droopy. Against all better judgment, she closed her eyes and darkness overtook her again.<p>

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><p>The next time she woke, she was able to see much better. She realized she was not in the underworld, but in the infirmary...if it could be called that. Really, it was just a tent with the medical supplies. She turned her head to the side and got a glimpse of a very pissed-off Artemis.<p>

"So you're finally awake, huh? Do you have any idea how worried we all were? I literally freaked out when Thalia told me what happened! The younger hunters have been sacrificing to every god they've ever heard of- Greek or Roman. Phoebe is so upset that she has locked herself inside her tent and refuses to come out. Thalia has been _living_ here in the infirmary. Sophia and Camilla had to threaten the younger ones to make them eat! Alodia has been chanting healing hymns and praying to my brother continuously for the past two days! I am never going to let you hunt on your own again, Reyna." Here she paused to take a breath.

"I'm sorry, my lady. I only wanted to protect Phoebe and Thalia from the monsters. I thought...", she trailed off.

"Protect them? At the cost of your own life? _That_ seems legit. You're lucky I'm here and not Thalia. She is going to _kill_ you."

"I really am sorry, my lady. I apologize for the worry I caused you all. How am I here, anyway?" Reyna asked.

"Phoebe found you when she came back with a pail of water. She killed all the monsters and brought you to Thalia, who sent me an emergency bolt of lightning. You're lucky to be alive." Artemis replied.

"Believe me, I know." said Reyna. At that very moment, the tent flap opened, and in walked the hunters.

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><p>"Reyna, you idiot!"<p>

"Stupid, selfless, suicidal moron!"

"We'll all die of heart attacks if you keep doing things like this."

"Are you sure you're not Kelp Head in disguise?"

These were some of the comments that were loud enough for Reyna to hear over the absolute pandemonium that had broken out.

"Silence, girls. You can all yell at Reyna later. I have something to tell you all", said the quiet, yet commanding voice of Artemis.

Camilla shushed the girls before asking, " What do you need to tell us, my lady?"

"I'm going on a hunting trip and..."

Shouts of "Who are you taking with you, my lady" and "Ooooh! Can I come?" immediately broke out.

"Silence!", yelled Artemis. "None of you are coming with me." seeing that Thalia was about to protest, she raised a hand for silence and continued, " My brother Apollo will accompany me. We need some...ah, quality sibling bonding time. You will all await my return at Camp Half-Blood."

"Let us go pack our tents. We have long journey ahead of us", said Alodia.

"Oh, there's no need to pack your tents", Artemis said." Apollo will drop you."

Collective groans immediately broke out.

"But, my lady...", began Sophia.

"I'll make sure he doesn't hit on you, Sophia", Artemis assured her.

" And me?", asked Thalia.

"You too", she replied.

"Fine", Thalia groused.

"Excellent. Now go pack before sunrise."

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><p><strong>AN: This is going to be a multi chapter story. My first multi chapter story. If you haven't read it already, read 'Free from responsibilities'. It's kinda like a prequel to this one. Also thanks to my beta, TheElfWhoLived007. I have exams so I don't know when I'll be able to update so please be patient.**

**Toodles!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I ain't doing the disclaimer again. Check chapter one**. **The haiku was written by me. If it sucks...IT"S SUPPOSED TO SUCK. Go on. Enjoy.**

"Well, well! Look who's here!", exclaimed Sophia.

"Reyna, exactly how stupid are you?", enquired Thalia.

"Ummm...sorry?", she said, posing it more like a question than a statement.

"Hmph, whatever", said Phoebe." You're just lucky that you're healing. Else I would kick your ass all the way to Olympus. Just don't you dare do anything like this again."

"Forget Olympus. You'll get a nice close up view of the Andromeda Galaxy", growled Thalia.

Thankfully for Reyna, Camilla came up to the three girls with impeccable timing and said," I'm sorry to uhh...interrupt you, but its two minutes to sunrise. We need to go."

Thalia's face turned from a light frown to a heavy scowl. Obviously she was not thrilled at having to ride a sun chariot/car/bus through the heavens to Camp Half-Blood, especially with Apollo, for he was bound to either flirt with her or force her to drive...or both.

Reyna muttered a soft"Thanks" to Camilla.

"Oh, don't thank me, Miss I'll-die-for-my-friends. You're not off the hook yet." Camilla said before she walked out. Grimacing and shaking her head, Reyna picked up her bag and left the tent too.

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><p>As the hunters waited, Reyna wondered why the hunters were so... anti-Apollo, for the lack of a better word. She decided that she would judge him for herself. She was imagining how horrible he could be for the hunters to dislike him so, when Artemis yelled,<p>

"Everybody cover your eyes!"

Reyna quickly looked away and didn't look forward until she heard a voice playfully say,

"Hello, little sis. Miss me?"

And when Reyna turned to look, how she _stared_!

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><p>Reyna thought that Apollo was quite good looking- he <em>was<em> after all a god. She could understand how he got a reputation of being such a heartbreaker. _She_ would go out with a guy_ that_ hot...well, if she hadn't been a hunter. Girls probably melted when they saw him, pun _sort of_ intended. She just stared and wondered why she was so easily charmed by blonde, blue-eyed, good looking sons of Jupiter. She could _totally not relate_ to Thalia and her dislike for Apollo.

"How _are _the gorgeous girls that follow you around all the time? Any new hotties for me to meet?"

Okay, maybe she could _kind of relate_ to Thalia.

He started walking through the group of hunters who stepped away from him in disgust and stopped right in front of her. Gods of Olympus, his eyes were _beautiful_ up close. _Snap out of it Reyna,_ she told herself. _Remember, eternal maidenhood. Nature, friendship, companionship, forgetting Grace! Good things! Better things than his eyes._ She was snapped out of her daze by Apollo saying,

"Hmm...she's new. Reyna aren't you? Bellona's girl? Ex-praetor of Camp Jupiter? Kick-ass fighter?"

"Yup, that's me", she replied.

"Pleasure to meet you, sweetheart. I'm inspire to write a haiku. Hmm...let's see..."

As he waved his arms in an agitated motion, the hunters unanimously started to groan, Reyna only caught phrases like 'glad it's not me', 'another stupid haiku?' and 'Hades! Not again...kill me now'.

"I've got it!", he exclaimed triumphantly.

"Oooh! Congratulations!", Reyna snapped sarcastically, all traces of a developing crush gone.

Apollo cleared his throat before saying,

_Following Arty_

_is another pretty girl_

_I would _so_ date her._

_Okay_, thought Reyna. _Now I can _completely relate_ to Thalia._

"Brother dear, I'll give you twenty seconds to change that last line into something a _bit_ more appropriate, considering that she is one of my huntresses." Artemis said, not amused at all that Apollo found her huntress attractive.

"How about...

_She is really hot._"

All Artemis said was " Ten seconds before I impale you with my custom made arrows"

"Aww! Don't be such a party pooper Arty."

"Unless you want an arrow some place that will prevent you from reproducing, five seconds left."

"Fine, fine" he said hastily.

_"Reyna is her name"_

"Now my _beloved_ _brother_, drop my hunters at Camp Half-Blood. Do not _touch_ them, _talk_ to them, _flirt_ with them or _offer to help_ them. And do not, under _any circumstance_ call them sweetheart, baby, gorgeous or any other ridiculous, 'endearing' pet name you have invented. If you do, I cannot guarantee your well being, but I _can_ guarantee their wrath. They are _not_, I repeat _not_ your mortal girlfriends. Got that?"

"Of course, little sis. Pile in, girls. We're going to Camp Half-Blood. Thalia, do you want to see if your driving skills are better, love?"

"I have two things to say to you: I suck at driving and if you value your dangly bits, don't _ever_ call me love."

Reyna sighed as the two of them continued to bicker and only one thought crossed her mind.

_This is going to be a long ride._

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><p><strong>AN: Wow! that was a fun chapter to write. Two updates in a day? I really _am_ on fire. Thanks to my beta, TheElfWhoLived007.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's been so long since the last update. I had exams and school stuff and my wifi stopped working for around three days. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>"Dibs on...! Damn it", said Reyna, realizing that she and Thalia were the only ones without a seat." Fine. Dibs on the window seat", she muttered, wishing she had gotten on earlier.<p>

Thalia winced, realizing that she would be sandwiched between Reyna and Apollo on a two-person seat. She did not want to travel like that for a number of reasons. These were as follows:

Reason one: She was claustrophobic. Maybe from all the times her mother had locked her up in a drunk rage.

Reason two: She had a fear of heights. If you are travelling by flying bus with a fear of heights, the front most seat from where you can see the land below you is not a good idea.

Reason three: The closer she sat to Apollo, the more likely it was that he would make her drive the stupid sun chariot. She didn't want to drive it, damn it.

Reason four: In case of a head-on collision(with a plane probably. Or crash landing into the Sahara), apart from Reyna, she would be the most wounded. While she _did_ care about Reyna, dying a painful death was_ not_ high on her bucket list. In fact, it wasn't even _on_ her bucket list.

Reason five: She was a hunter of Artemis. She absolutely did not want to sit next to a male, especially the most arrogant, cocky, flirty idiot of the whole goddamn species.

Whining and cursing under her breath, she opened the front door of the bus and slammed it behind her.

"Careful, sweetheart. This bus is mine. If you make a dent or scratch on it, I will incinerate you-pretty girl or not. My car is the most important girl in my life."

Thalia chose not to grace that with a reply and simply scowled. Reyna looked quite unhappy with the arrangement. Granted, her situation was better than Thalia's, but she still did not a=want to be witness to the god and her fellow huntress bickering especially when she didn't even have her headphones with her(Apollo had thrown her bag into the back before she could retrieve them. Jackass). She glared at the other huntresses and got in at the front, slamming the door .

"Man! All of you girls have anger issues. I heard that Hermes was starting an anger management class. Shall I tell him that the two of you would be interested?" Apollo asked with an expression that was _way_ too cheerful for the early morning.

Reyna and Thalia both gave him death glares. If the receiver was anyone else, they would have soiled their pants. However, being on the receiving end of several of Artemis's death glares and venomous stares had made Apollo immune.

Thalia opened her mouth again to yell at him. Reyna just sighed and turned to look outside.

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><p>They arrived at Camp Half-Blood in the mid morning. By the time they got of the bus, Reyna felt like her ears were beginning to bleed. Thalia and Apollo had started arguing about the anger management classes that Apollo had suggested and then moved on to hunting, the proper way to hold a bow, movies, games and pretty much everything on the planet. Even off it- she was pretty sure they'd argues about alien life at some point.<p>

Reyna had almost asked them to just shut the bloody hell up before realizing that Apollo was a god who would probably smite her if she asked him to 'can it'.

For the better part of the journey, she had been worrying over another matter- Jason Grace. She had planned on not meeting him for the next couple of years to give herself more time to get over him. Now she would have to see him be all lovey-dovey with Mclean. She didn't even know if she was fully over him!

If only life gave her a bloody _break_. She didn't want to see stupid Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and demigod extraordinaire. She wondered if she could control herself around him and his girlfriend without killing anyone. Or throwing up. Or punching someone.

_Oh well_, she thought. _Guess we'll find out_.

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><p>The hunters all piled out at the first sign of the bus stopping. Reyna was so preoccupied that she almost slammed the door of the sun bus into Thalia's face.<p>

"Sorry Thals! I was just...", she waved her hand around vaguely, trying to get Thalia to understand what she was expressing. Thalia just gave her a curious look. Before Reyna could extrapolate though, Alodia's voice cut through.

"Great! We get to camp in the same place as a bunch of stupid boys." she said unhappily, before making a very ugly facial expression. She truly was one of the hunters who hated the boys of Camp Half-Blood the most.

As the hunters threw their packs onto their shoulders and readied themselves to meet the boys of camp and not punch them, the campers came to stand in a line, craning their necks to see any sign of Artemis with the hunters. They were headed by Percy, Annabeth, Jason and Piper. Reyna wondered where Leo was. She wasn't surprised not to see him though. Jason and Piper-_Jasper_ as the Aphrodite and Venus kids called them- were perpetually attached at the hip. It was a challenge to have a conversation with them without watching them make-out.

Jason was looking amidst the hunters, trying to spot his sister. As he looked in her direction, Reyna groaned and ducked slightly so that he would hopefully miss her. She really wasn't in the mood for his curiosity or surprise- nor did she want to hear about his _beautiful_, _wonderful_ girlfriend, Piper Mclean. And yes, that was sarcasm. She wasn't in luck though. He spotted her and his eyes widened.

Reyna quickly shook her head, warning him not to say anything. He thankfully took the hint and shut up._ My cabin, later_, she mouthed. He nodded as Chiron started his welcoming speech, talking about how there was to be a friendly capture the flag between the campers and the hunters and how the girls had the Artemis cabin to themselves. At the end of his speech, Thalia stepped forward.

"Thank you, Chiron, for that kind speech. We shall cause no trouble if the campers promise to do the same. I can however, not assure you the health of any boy that flirts with any huntress"

"Of course, I shall make sure they do nothing of that sort", Chiron replied. "Well, of to your tasks, campers. Who will show the hunters to their cabin?"

"There really is no need, Chiron. We have been here before, you know?", said Sophia.

"You are our guests. We are duty-bound to show you to your cabin. It is the least we can do.", Chiron replied." Ah, yes. You will show them their cabin,won't you, Piper dear?"

"Of course, Chiron. It would be my pleasure." Said Piper. As she passed Reyna, she gave her a shove and a death glare. "Hunters, follow me."

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><p><strong>There! Now Piper and Reyna will have a nice chat about... NO SPOILERS. Thanks to my beta, TheElfWhoLived007.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the long wait. I'll repost this chapter once my beta reviews it.**

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><p>Piper led the hunters through the cabins. Reyna, not having seen Camp Half-Blood before, was confused. She could not come to terms with the idea that the campers were divided based on their godly parent. she turned to Thalia, who was walking right next to her and asked her the question that had been bothering her ever since she had arrived at Camp Half-Blood.<p>

"How does this system of division even work?", she asked.

"Umm...system?, Thalia replied quizzically.

"Yeah. You know...this division on the basis of godly parent."

"Well, what's wrong with it?"

"It seems...I don't know how to say it..."

"Just tell me what you wanted to say.", said Thalia defensively.

"It seems like the campers are divided completely. They don't seem to have much loyalty to those with another godly parent."

"There is nothing wrong with the way the campers are divided here.", said Thalia, trying to avoid the self-righteous, 'we are better than the Romans' speech any camper would give if they heard what Reyna was saying.

"Are you trying to tell me that you never resented being alone in the Jupiter...I mean Zeus cabin?"

"Umm...", Thalia trailed off. Reyna was analytical indeed when it came to reading people.

"How do the campers mingle when they only hang out with their own siblings? How do they fight together when they have only ever fought alongside their siblings?"

"Don't you people do the same thing with your...cahorts, is it?"

"Cohorts. And that is in no way similar to what happens here."

" How? It seems the same to _me_."

"At Camp Jupiter, each cohort has children or legacies of many different gods. For an example, a cohort has children or legacies of Trivia, Venus, Fortuna, Victoria, Bellona, Mars, Apollo and Mercury. Each god gives a different power to their descendants. At our camp, the legionnaires learn to work together, with each other. They do not discriminate on the basis of parentage. They learn to fight together- complimenting each others' powers, strengths and weaknesses. It is not a perfect system, but it is better than this camp. ", Reyna justified.

Before Thalia could reply to that, Piper stopped walking and turned around. She frowned when she saw the twosome at the back talking. Evidently, she had been giving a passionate speech on Camp Half-Blood and its self-proclaimed 'awesomeness'. She glared at them before opening her mouth again as she started to walk.

"Talks a lot, that one.", said Camilla, turning back to grin at Reyna and Thalia.

"For someone who apparently dislikes attention, she sure talks a lot", added Sophia.

"Dislikes attention or not, she's so damn possessive.", said Camilla. " I heard her boyfriend wanted to come to Camp Jupiter to visit you, Reyna. When he told her he wanted to do that, she through a huge fit and was an absolute bitch until he promised he wouldn't go."

At this moment, Piper turned around and glared. This time she was really pissed that they weren't listening.

"What is more important to you than this speech that I'm giving? Even if you have no manners, I'm sure you know that you must pay attention when someone takes such a lot of trouble to explain something to you.", she sneered.

"Girl, you never, ever insult the hunters. I suggest you shut up before we make you unrecognizable.", said Alodia.

"Is that a threat?"

"Nope. It's the truth."

Piper decided to turn around and keep walking, which was a wise decision for her. She continued on. Reyna who was wondering why the route was so long asked Thalia about it.

"Oh, she's just taking the longest route possible route. She's just trying to irritate us, I think." was the prompt reply.

They walked on and on and finally reached the Artemis Cabin. It was silver with engravings of vines and animals on it. It was one of the most beautiful cabins of Camp Half-Blood. The cabin was fully furnished with the required number of beds- all with silvery-white beddings. There was a chest of drawers beside every bed where the girls could keep whatever they wanted to. There were holders and holsters for their bows and quivers as well as for their hunting knives. In the front most part of the cabin, there was a huge statue of Artemis with a bronze brazier below it for offerings. it was truly an impressive cabin. Reyna who had never seen it before was in awe of it.

"This is your cabin for the duration of your visit. Enjoy!", said Piper, rather miffed at them for ignoring her. She turned around to walk away when she suddenly reconsidered.

"Reyna, can I talk to you? Outside?"

"Sure. Let me just leave my things on my bed.", she replied.

Reyna _was_ slightly worried about what Piper had to say to her that couldn't be said in front of the rest of the huntresses. _Meh_, she thought. _It's probably about Grace_. Then she thought, _what if Piper is going to talk about something else? Or threaten me, maybe? Oh well, guess we'll find out._

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><p>As soon as Reyna stepped out, it hit Piper exactly how beautiful she was. Even with her jet black, glossy hair in a plait that was all mussed up from travelling with the windows open(Apollo insisted that it made the experience more fun) and band-aids on her forehead and arms, Reyna was the epitome of a classical, powerful beauty. Maybe it was her regal way of walking or her complex way of framing sentences- whatever it was she had something special. Something she had without trying while Piper herself couldn't achieve it if she put all her effort into it.<p>

A few more seconds passed as Piper was lost in her musings. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Reyna speaking.

"Well?", she asked in her cold, clear voice. A voice that could inspire fear or awe in the strongest of men.

"Huh?", said Piper, clearly dazed.

"You called me here, Mclean. Is your memory _that_ lacking?"

"Oh! Umm...well...Why did you join the hunters?", Piper asked.

"Why do I have to justify my actions to you? I joined because I felt like a change."

"So...you're not interested in Jason anymore?"

"Obviously not, Mclean. Even if I was, I couldn't and wouldn't act on it. Is that all? Anymore stupid questions?"

"No. I...enjoy your stay, Reyna", Piper said, not wanting to be in Reyna's presence longer than necessary. There was something about the ex-praetor that made Piper feel unworthy and useless. _Hmm..._thought Piper. _Maybe I should go see Jase_.

Cheering up immensely at the thought of her boyfriend, Piper skipped to the Zeus Cabin. Little did she know, Jason was coming her way- not to meet her, but to meet Reyna.

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><p><strong>AN: Many thanks to my beta, ElfWhoLived007.**

**P.S: Has anyone read Blood of Olympus yet? If you have, I would love to rant about the ending.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I do not own Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Ray, even though I only used one line of her song.**

**My beta is busy, so this will be re-updated once she edits it.**

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><p>Jason was walking towards Cabin Eight quite enthusiastically, but still a little confused. He could not fathom why Reyna would join the hunters. She had always liked her job as praetor and was successful at it too. <em>Speaking of praetors<em>, Jason thought, _who was running Camp Jupiter_? He was really hoping it wasn't Octavian. That guy was too power-hungry to do anything good for the legion. _Would someone else have even a sliver of a chance?Well, _he thought_, Reyna left her job to join a wandering girl group. Hell may have frozen over._

As he neared the hunters' cabin, he made a mental to-do list.

First, he had to apologize to Reyna for leaving her with no warning, returning with another girl, and leaving again when Leo had fired on the camp without so much as a 'Hello, nice to see you. You're looking good.', or any other greeting for that matter.

Second, he had to find out who the hell was running Camp Jupiter. Just because he chose the Greek camp to be with Piper didn't mean that he couldn't give a damn about his first home, the place where he had grown up.

Third, he had to ask Reyna why she joined the hunters when she had a perfect job at Camp Jupiter. he simply could not understand why she had joined the one group of people who had sworn off of men.

Finally, he had to ask about Thalia, give her his regards, apologize again and get the hell out of there before any of the girls decided to kick his ass for coming near sworn maidens.

He felt quite confident about his little mission and hummed the tune of Summertime Sadness. He thought back to when he and Reyna were still best friends and had heard the song on the radio.

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><p>"Come on, Rey-Rey. Be a sport.", Jason had whined.<p>

"I do not have time for 'being a sport' as you put it, Jason."

"Why do you call me Jason?", he had suddenly asked.

"That's your name isn't it?", she asked, bewildered by the question.

"We're friends. You have to have a pet name for me."

"A...what now?"

"A pet name, Spanish Queen. It's a name you give to someone you care about. Like I call you Rey-Rey, Spanish Queen, RA-RA, Reynachu, Reymon..."

"Who says I care about you?", she had asked teasingly.

He at once put his hand over his heart and gasped before saying, "You wound me, RA-RA"

She gave him a small, rare smile and then frowned said, "Wait, RA-RA? Where did that come from?"

"Umm..."

"Spit it out, Grace."

"From your full name. Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano. R-A-R-A. RA-RA."

"Are you making a mockery out of my name, Grace?"

"Of course not, Rey. Its cute.

"My name is cute to you." Her voice was slightly threatening.

"No...it's just...what I meant...Oh for the love of Jupiter. You're not easy to talk to at all. You just make me nervous and...I just...why do I even try? I mean...I want to say...", he rambled on. Reyna just smiled mischievously.

"I was just teasing you, Jace."

Jason's heart swelled so much with emotion that you could have mistaken it for a beach ball.

Just then, the radio lying between them started to blare Summertime Sadness.

"If we're best friends..." Jason trailed off.

"We are", Reyna assured him.

"Would you make me the happiest man in the world..." He kneeled.

Reyna looked like she was going to start hyperventilating at any moment.

"...By dancing with me?"

"You stupid jackass, Grace. Don't ever scare me like that.", she said, smacking him.

"Seriously, Reynachu. Will you dance with me?"

"Nope."

His face fell. He was trying his best to shrug of her rejection like it hadn't bothered him when she continued.

"Not until you ask me properly."

His face lit up like a thousand watt bulb.

"In that case, my lady, May I have this dance?"

"Certainly, kind sir."

And they had danced in the shared backyard of their new praetor houses, in their togas, Jason's hair all mussed up from the long day of work, Reyna's hair in it's trademark plait, but with strands of hair fallen out from twisting it in frustration, her just reaching his shoulder and resting her head on it, while his head restead on hers.

_I got my summertime._

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><p>Jason wished they could go back to that- just being two teenagers, but knew it was impossible. They had both been through too much to go back to what they were. They had both fought in two wars. That least had matured them, if not anything else. They had drifted apart and they both knew it. They just didn't want to accept it. He hoped he could be, at least, a friend to Reyna.<p>

When he reached Cabin Eight, he was struck by its ethereal beauty, like he was every time he got there. He took a deep breath and knocked on the silver door. A young, pretty girl opened it.

"Yes?", she asked, looking at him like he was something the cat had brought in. _She is probably distrustful_, Jason thought, _what with me being a boy and all_.

"Umm...Could I see Reyna?", he asked, rather nervous.

"Reyna! There's someone at the door for you.", the pretty redhead yelled.

"Who is it, Cynthia?", said a rather familiar voice which was, however, slightly muffled. "Is it Annabeth?"

"No. It's a _male_"

"Percy Jackson?"

"No. This one's blond and tall. You might know him."

"Grace?" There was a short pause after which another equally muffled voice spoke.

"I told you to never refer to me by my last name. If you ever do it again, Hades help me, I will hunt you down and kick your ass all the way to Alaska."

"Not you, stupid. Your idiot brother."

"Jason's here?"

"Well, according to Cynthia's description, its either Grace or Will Solace. The latter has no reason to visit the hunters, so its probably Grace."

The voices sounded clearer now, as though the speakers were closer.

"Who even uses the word latter while speaking these days?"

"I had to use language like that while speaking to the senate. It just stuck, okay?"

"Did Jason speak like that too? If so, I am so disowning him."

"I don't think he did. He was the planner, I was the speaker. He would have probably screwed up the speaking horribly. He always did have stage fright, you know."

"I have no idea. I didn't spend most of his childhood with him."

"Oh, don't worry.", said what Jason had dubbed Reyna's 'Mischief-making voice'. "I know plenty of ex-legionnaires who took care of him as a baby. I know the best blackmail stories in the world."

She was grinning as she said this, Jason noted. As soon as she spotted him at the doorway, her bright grin faded away. Next to her, his Jason's sister Thalia was frowning disapprovingly.

"Hey, Reyna.", he said rather nervously.

"Hello, Jason.", she replied.

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><p><strong>AN: There! That's done. I threw in a little bit of Jeyna. Not really a shipper though. I promise the Jason-Reyna conversation will be next chapter...or maybe not.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: About the long wait...#sorrynotsorry. I just had so much school stuff and tests and writers block and all**

**Itsasmallworld: Reyna is a hunter of Artemis in this fic. There will neither be Jeyna or Reypollo(Funny ship name, that. I like saying it!) But maybe, I could start a Reypollo trend. This would be one of the first fics of that ship, no?**

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><p>For a moment Jason and Reyna just stood there, staring at each other, neither of them speaking. Jason had never felt this nervous in his life. Except the time he faced Krios, but that was justified. Reyna, on the other hand didn't know what to feel. One on hand, she was glad Jason hadn't forgotten her. On the other, she wondered whether she could control her feelings for Jason or not.<p>

"So...", Jason tried to break the awkward silence.

"What are you here for?", Reyna asked in her usual no-nonsense way.

Jason's worry, nerves and anxiety manifested as anger at her and he momentarily lost control of his senses.

"What's wrong with you, Reyna? You left Camp Jupiter under Pluto knows who's supervision. What if one of that jackass Octavian's followers has taken over and whipped them into a frenzy against Camp Half-Blood? Are you nuts? What do you think will happen to the Camp? Answer me, damn it."

"I didn't know you cared, Jason.", Reyna said in the cold voice she reserved for people like Octavian.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you left your so-called home for that daughter of Venus. Stupid wench-"

"Don't say a thing against Pipes. She's ten times the girl you'll ever be."

Jason instantly realized that he had neatly played into all of Reyna's insecurities. He had just told her she was nothing compared to Piper. He cursed himself for being so stupid.

"I'm sorry Reyna. I didn't mean to snap at you. And you're just as good as Piper at everything you do. You are beautiful and kind and..."

"An apology, Grace?" Reyna's lips quirked into a little grin. "The Greeks have softened you! What happened to your huge ego, huh?"

"What happened to you? You were this insecure girl who didn't let anyone on the off chance that they might hurt you. Now I told you that I preferred Piper to you, and you didn't react at all. What happened? You know you can trust me."

"You happened, Jason.", Reyna said, shocking Jason.

"Me?"

"Yes, you happened." Her voice rose at this and had a hint of anger now. She glared at Jason and cut him of before he could get the first word of his defense out.

"You were my first friend at Camp Jupiter. You made me feel like I was normal, like I wasn't some sort of bloody freak. You taught me to have fun. You were the first to realize that there was something dark about my past that I didn't want to share. You were the only one who understood that I needed a friend and not a Prince Charming to save me when I'm in trouble because I can take care of myself."

Here, her voice choked with emotion and a slight sadness.

"Every time the members of my cohort played pranks on me, you helped me. When they spray painted all my clothes, you lent me yours. When they poured Kool-Aid all over my mattress, you gave me your spare one. You dumped that Bethany girl because she was being a bitch to me. You were the only one I shared my full name with. Everyone- Dakota, Bobby, Gwen, even the praetors- knew me as Reyna, daughter of Bellona from Cohort 3. You were the only one who saw me as Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano the girl whom no one else knew."

Her tone now turned accusing.

"You made me fall in love with you. You let me believe that I could have a happy ending with you. You let me be a part of your most private life and that made me wish, it made me hope that maybe, you could find a special place in your heart for me. That was a mistake, yeah?"

Reyna sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked away for a minute before looking back at Jason who had a horrified look on his face at her revelations.

"We became praetors together. I kept hoping that you would see me as more than a friend or a best friend. I loved you so much. You know the love we read about in books or watch in movies or hear about in songs? The kind of overwhelming, passionate love that consumes you and you don't know what to do and the only thing in the world that you're sure about is that one person? Like they are the only thing that still keeps you alive and you wake up every morning just to see them and go to bed with a smile on your face and they're the one who put it there?"

She smiled bitterly and shook her head.

"Of course you had no clue. I never let you notice it, but every time you brought me a scone or a muffin from the shop or you made me a perfect cup of coffee, or finished my sentences because that's how well we know each other, I was on cloud nine. In the seventh heaven of delight. You remember the Gala we had to celebrate the defeat of the Titans?"

"Of course I do! I could never forget that.", said Jason and then, he winced. It had been one of the memories Hera had taken away and although he got it back, he had tried to repress it while dating Piper because it was one of the memories that confused and jumbled up his already mixed feelings for Reyna.

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><p>Jason was standing in the middle of the party, a glass of white wine in his hand, grinning at something Bobby had said. He had quite a few bruises all over his body and was favoring his left leg as the right had been slashed by Krios. He was truly relaxed as a threat was finally gone and happy as he and Reyna were the new praetors as Malcom Carpe had resigned from his post and Diana Neres had been killed by the Ketos Troias, the Trojan Sea Monster.<p>

He tossed back his head and laughed genuinely for the first time in a year. His laughter was interrupted by Dakota who was staring at something or someone in the distance with a dazed look on his face, which could be due to either whatever he was looking at or the copious amount of alcohol he had ingested.

"Look, dude.", he had said. "It's Reyna!"

And indeed, it was Reyna.

She was wearing a silver gown with a deep red sash and red sandals. She was also wearing a silver chain with a ruby stone on it. Her hair, rather than in its usual plait was cascading down her face in soft waves. In a sentence, she looked absolutely breathtaking.

"You look beautiful, Reyna!", Jason had exclaimed.

She had simply replied with "Thanks, Grace. You don't look so bad yourself."

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><p>Reyna continued speaking.<p>

"That was one of the happiest days in my life. You had finally seen me as a girl! You finally told me one of the things I wanted to here from you the most. Granted it wasn't an 'I love you', but calling me beautiful was one step closer. I was giddy with happiness. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep. The next day, I almost went around beaming at everyone. You made me act like a lovesick middle schooler with her first crush! And then, Juno happened."

Her voice was dark and cold now and so was her scowl. Her sentences too became more short and clipped as though she was afraid of saying something she regretted.

"You left. I mourned. Then I began to search. Percy Jackson arrived. I continued searching. I couldn't bear to think that you were dead. Every senate meeting, I would ask about you! When the senators told me to give up, I ignored them and continued to search for you. Gods, those months were so hard on me. I was dying on the inside out. When I heard of your return from Percy, I was ecstatic. As dense as Percy is, bless him, he noticed and even asked if we were more than colleagues. I lied to him, told him we might have been. I still wished you'd come back and just tell me you loved me."

Jason looked extremely guilty at this point. If guilt was a country, Jason would be Russia.

"You came back with Piper. I couldn't beat her. I know, because I tried. So I moved on. Now, for once in my life, I am happy. What I have with the hunters... it's what I never had with you. I needed love, Jason. Not just romantically, even platonic or familial love would have done. The girls gave me that. I can never thank them enough for it. But they don't want me to thank them for it. We are one big happy family. I have finally let go, Jason. I need you you to do the same. I no longer have feelings for you."

Jason started at once.

" Reyna, I...I want to ask Piper to marry me. And she...she hates you. And she means a lot to me. So I..."

"Oh, for god's sake, grace. I get it. You choose her over me. Now get lost. I don't want to see you near this Cabin again. We aren't friends anymore. In fact, I don't know what we are. And quite frankly, I do not care to find out. Leave."

With that Reyna walked into Cabin Eight and slammed the door. Jason hesitated at the door and then heaved a sigh and turned around, walking back to his own cabin.

Inside the Artemis Cabin, for the first time since she joined the Hunters, a tear rolled down Reyna's face.

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><p><strong>AN: AAAAAAAAAAAAND CUT!**


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